Tool Filtering

Tool Filtering

AI-enabled IDEs like Cursor have tool limits. With 170+ tools in the native backend, you must use tool filtering to stay within limits. Use shortcuts or specify groups to enable only what you need.

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Recommended Configuration

Code Mode (--tool-filter codemode) is the recommended default — a single tool that provides access to all capabilities through sandboxed JavaScript:

{
  "args": ["--tool-filter", "codemode"]
}

If you prefer individual tool calls, use a shortcut or custom group combination.

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Shortcuts (Predefined Bundles)

Note: Native includes FTS5 (5), window functions (6), transactions (8), and SpatiaLite (7) not available in WASM.

Shortcut	WASM	Native	+ Built-in	What's Included
starter	65	70	+4	Core, JSON, Text
analytics	67	73	+4	Core, JSON, Stats
search	51	56	+4	Core, Text, Vector
spatial	40	47	+4	Core, Geo, Vector
dev-schema	41	41	+4	Core, Introspection, Migration
minimal	25	25	+4	Core only
full	143	170	+4	Everything enabled

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Tool Groups

+4 built-in tools (server_info, server_health, list_adapters, sqlite_execute_code) are injected into every group. (Note: There are also 7 admin/audit tools that are always available but not part of any group, making the total MCP tool count 181 Native / 154 WASM).

Group	WASM	Native	+ Built-in	Description
core	25	25	+4	Basic CRUD, schema, tables
json	25	25	+4	JSON/JSONB operations, analysis
text	15	20	+4	Text processing + FTS5 + advanced search
stats	17	23	+4	Descriptive, inference, window functions
vector	11	11	+4	Vector storage, similarity search
admin	30	31	+4	DB maintenance, backup, virtual tables
transactions	0	8	+4	Commit, rollback, savepoints (Native only)
geo	4	11	+4	Geospatial + SpatiaLite (Native only)
introspection	10	10	+4	Schema mapping, FK graph, analysis
migration	6	6	+4	Schema migration tracking (opt-in)

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Syntax Reference

Prefix	Target	Example	Effect
(none)	Shortcut	starter	Whitelist Mode: Enable ONLY this shortcut
(none)	Group	core	Whitelist Mode: Enable ONLY this group
(none)	Tool	read_query	Whitelist Mode: Enable ONLY this tool
+	Group	+vector	Add tools from this group to current set
-	Group	-admin	Remove tools in this group from current set
+	Tool	+fuzzy_search	Add one specific tool
-	Tool	-drop_table	Remove one specific tool

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Custom Tool Selection

You can list individual tool names (without + prefix) to create a fully custom whitelist — only the tools you specify will be enabled:

# Enable exactly 3 tools (whitelist mode)
--tool-filter "read_query,write_query,list_tables"

# Mix tools from different groups
--tool-filter "read_query,fuzzy_search,vector_search"

# Combine with a shortcut or group
--tool-filter "starter,+vector_search,+fuzzy_search"

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Examples

# Starter shortcut
--tool-filter "starter"

# Multiple groups
--tool-filter "core,json,text,stats"

# Additive
--tool-filter "starter,+stats"

# Subtractive
--tool-filter "starter,-text"

Legacy Syntax (still supported)

If you start with a negative filter (e.g., -vector,-geo), it assumes you want to start with all tools enabled and then subtract:

--tool-filter "-stats,-vector,-geo,-transactions"

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Related

• Code Mode — All tools via a single sandbox endpoint
• Tool Reference — Complete tool inventory
• Quick Start — MCP client configuration